1st Experience with BPD Bias in the Workplace

So I might mention that I work with disadvantaged youth on a state-run campus, and I am currently their Admin Assistant. And it's my second week on the job (AND I FREAKING LOVE IT!!!!!!).

But today.... well, something strange happened. I guess it was bound to.



This gossipy counselor comes in, and is all ready to chat and gossip. They had the kids' clinicals this morning, and I was in the manager's office putting files together.

She comes in, looking for someone to dish with, and the conversation goes something to this effect:

Her: So the psych doctor came in to do med eval's today, and told me what I already knew about my one kid in my cottage- she is SOO BPD it's AWFUL.

Me: Oh.

Her: well, since you're new you probably don't know much about BPD.

Me: Well, I probably know more than you do.

Her: Truuuust me, if you knew about it, you would KNOW what I mean.



And to feel this way toward a child... who will probably end up with this in his/her medical file that will follow them from home to home, this is like the kiss of death... and her attitude toward it was just despicable.

So, I guess I'm learning what it feels like to be treated like "a BPD" when someone THINKS that you're a "Non".

AMP

that is probably what scares me the most, that people will assume I am acting a certain way because of bpd or that they will treat me a certain way because of it.

I feel for that kid, thats just awful

That's so bitchy. The kid doesn't stand a chance being surrounded by attitudes like that.

How inappropriate. I like how she acts that her kid is ill with the flu or something, not like it's a personality disorder that can take years and years of therapy to cure.

This is a counsellor? Disgusting.

Mind you teachers do exactly the same Can't you make a complaint or something? Anonymously of course.

Extremely unprofessional.

That kind of attitude is why I dont declare my bpd except to a few peopke and I still wish I could scrub their minds. My therapists likes to make bpd jokes about me and it makes me want to stab him.

moomin wrote:This is a counsellor? Disgusting.

Mind you teachers do exactly the same Can't you make a complaint or something? Anonymously of course.

I don't have BPD but... in my psych 101 class the professor (also head of the dept) went on and on about how awful people with BPD are and basically described psychopathy and not BPD.

It really made me angry but at the time I wasn't as versed on personality disorders. If that happened these days I maybe would approach him after class and see how he could justify it.

Un-bloody-real. I can't believe that a counsellor, of all people, is getting down on a kid like that. Even if it's behind the scenes, I don't doubt for a minute that the bias shows through now and then in front of the kid. Kids are smart, too; they pick up on that stuff very quickly. People like her could benefit from a little wall-to-wall counselling; maybe she'd learn that she's there to help kids, not groan about them.

That's awful. But now you've got a great opportunity to teach her about BPD. I don't know if you've planning to ever tell anyone at your workplace that you have BPD (probably not), but if I were you, I'd consider revealing it to her after some time... After she's gotten to know you better. Maybe just before you stop working there, or something? Then she'd realize that people with BPD can actually seem perfectly normal.

You get my point, right? I'm not trying to tell you what to do, this is just a thought I had. I hope all goes well at your job in the future.

when I was 13 I got diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder. as soon as this happened the mental health workers treated me like $#%^, and my parents started treating me even worse and painting a bunch of things I did as being "defiant"

i moved out a month after I turned 15. it is very unlikely i actually qualified for ODD. i refused to speak most of the time in therapy because i was afraid to say anything bad about my family...

either way my point is i agree that it is horrible the way the counselor behaved